3 reasons why Resorts World Genting is the perfect getaway for girlfriends

When you think about what constitutes the perfect girls-only getaway, three main pillars tend to pop up: hours of calf-intensive shopping, delectable dining options, and a tonne of booze. For my girlfriends and I, we rarely ever afford the time to be able to wend our way into the wide blue yonder for said holiday. Clashing schedules, deadlines at work — all the stuff we get caught up with.

And so, when the opportunity came for us to spend a weekend away at the iconic hilltop resort Resorts World Genting situated at Genting Highlands, we just couldn’t resist. Two whole days of retail therapy, indulging in good food and conversation and the bonus — cool temperatures.

A six-hour long drive away from Singapore and perched at 6,000 feet up in the air, Resorts World Genting has been quite buzzed about lately — and for good reason. We were mostly excited to visit the colossal SkyAvenue Mall, which had only opened in late 2016. The resort also has multitudinous new attractions and internationally-renowned restaurants that bolster its appeal as a popular destination for tourists.

After taking a good weekend off at the famed Malaysian resort, we’re more than convinced that the Malaysian resort is the ideal destination for a girlfriends’ retreat. Here are 3 reasons why:

1. You can go crazy with the shopping

SkyAvenue Mall

Sprawling across 1.4 million sq ft, SkyAvenue is situated in between the SkyCasino and Genting Grand Hotel. If you’re a guest staying at either First World Hotel or Genting Grand, just ask for directions and you’ll definitely be able to spot it.

SkyAvenue Mall

The mall boasts of a diverse retail mix of branded stores and coveted fast fashion giants, with five floors of shopping, dining choices, entertainment and even nightlife. There, you’ll find brands such as CHAPS , a US fashion retailer under Ralph Lauren, Uniqlo, a two-storey H&M and Malaysian brands like Vincci and the Padini Concept store. Beauty lovers will also delight in the fact that the mall also offers a variety of brands like Kiehl’s, Sephora, Selectiv’ by Sasa, and The Body Shop.

2. There are a tonne of dining options

SkyAvenue Mall has around 70 F&B outlets. Out of that 70, you can expect to find some world-famous chains and lavish restaurants that you and your girlfriends can revel in. We’ll break down the top highlights for you.

Burger & Lobster

The Original burger from Burger & Lobster

This UK chain from London specialises in Nova Scotia lobsters from Canada and premium corn fed Nebraskan beef burgers. It also happens to be the most famous F&B outlet in Genting to date. With only nine main items on its menu, it’s clear to see that Burger & Lobster focuses more on quality than quantity. But that’s not to say that it lacks variety, by any means; you can choose from a variety of steamed or braised lobsters, the chain’s famed lobster rolls and even a selection of hearty beef burgers. Burger & Lobster uses only fresh lobsters flown in live — you can even see them in the tank at the entrance of the restaurant.

We had the Original Lobster Roll (RM138, approx. S$46.50), and the Chilli Lobster (RM175).

Original Lobster Roll at Burger & Lobster

The lobster roll came served with toasted brioche roll — handmade, by the way — and a generous portion of chilled lobster meat. The lobster meat was fresh and was firm to the bite. Accompanied with the Japanese mayo and melted butter, the lobster roll tasted incredibly creamy yet light on the belly. This is a must-try, we absolutely recommend it.

Chilli Lobster at Burger & Lobster

The Chilli Lobster is an interesting one; it’s almost resplendent of our island’s very own signature Chilli Crab dish. You’ll find many familiar flavours from the latter with this one.

An exclusive dish to the Malaysian outlet, the Chilli Lobster packs a punch of flavour. Served with braised egg, sweet chilli gravy and a side of brioche toast (think: the mantou to your chilli crab), the dish fares pretty well on the novel scale. The chicken stock in the braised gravy brings out the sweetness in the lobster (served whole); the gravy is not too spicy, nor does it overpower the taste of the lobster flesh.

In other words, the quality and freshness of the lobster meat always shines through — regardless of the way it’s cooked here.

La Fiesta

Open kitchen at La Fiesta

La Fiesta is a convivial Spanish restaurant famed for its wines, tapas and Iberico Ham.

Costillas de Iberico at La Fiesta

We recommend you try the Costillas de Iberico (RM48). Marinated with a simple blend of pepper and sea salt, the chargrilled ribs were tender, and full of smoky, barbecue flavour.

Black Seafood Paella at La Fiesta

We’re also a fan of the Black Seafood Paella (RM105). If you’re a fan of squid ink-flavoured pastas, we think you’d agree with us too. The paella is made with bomba rice, seasoned with saffron and paprika and of course, squid ink. Served with three prawns and squid, the sweetness and fragrance of the seafood really gives the dish a bold ‘fresh from the sea’ flavour. Add a squeeze of lemon for an extra zing.

Sangria at La Fiesta

Wash it all down with a jug of refreshing Sangria (RM130 per jug) that serves 4 people. Sweet, with just the right amount of kick from the red wine, this tastes almost like a dessert. It’s also flamed right in front of you (10 points for interactivity!) and is topped with a pretty blend of fruits and garnish. What can we say… alcohol to end off the night with our girlfriends? The answer to that, is always yes.

Cafés Richard

Exterior of Cafe Richard

There’s no better way to enjoy some quality time with the girls than to indulge in conversation over a cup of first-class French-style coffee — and high tea, of course, especially when you’re feelin’ fancy. Head over to Cafés Richard for a late afternoon tea if you’re tired from all the shopping.

Cafés Richard provides a classy Parisian-style atmosphere with chic decor, graphic stripes, gilded accents reminiscent of the grand French capital. Beyond the ambience, every cup of authentic espresso, coffees and tea you order is also an experience. Shying away from some of the more conventional coffees, Cafés Richard carefully selects beans from around the world to give coffee connoisseurs a sense of exploration.

Parisian High Tea set at Cafe Richard

But you don’t have to be a true blue coffee expert to enjoy your time here; there’s an extensive selection of coffee beans for you to experiment with your taste buds, different slow brew methods to choose from, and even exciting coffee cocktails for those who don’t believe there is “a right time for alcohol”.

Cafés Richard also serves up a pretty presentation of its sweets and French pastries. If you and your girlfriend enjoy light snacks in between a cuppa, we recommend you go for the Parisian High Tea set (RM143 for 2 pax, available between 2.30pm to 5.30pm) for its delectable offerings of both sweet and savoury finger food. It also includes one choice of coffee and tea per person.

3. The attractions are fun-filled and exciting

Glass floor gondola

Gondola rides at Resorts World Genting

Resorts World Genting has cable cars that ferry you from the resort to the Awana Skyway Station (a.k.a where the Genting Highlands Premium Outlet is at) — and vice versa. You can opt for one of two classes of cabin: standard cabins (RM8 for one-way) and the cabins with glass floor for a view of a different kind (RM50 for one-way).

Inside view from the glass floor gondola

We took the glass floor gondola for optimum experience. What we got, was a breathtaking 360 degrees view of the 130-million-year-old rainforest below as we descended from the resort. The gondolas flew over some of the main attractions at the resort, giving us a bird’s eye view of the Chin Swee Temple and even the future Twentieth Century Fox World theme park that’s currently under construction (but more on that later). We missed out on visiting Resort World Genting’s indoor theme park but it is targeted to open this Chinese New Year. The theme park will be kicking off with six rides and will be opening in stages until the mid year with a total of 24 rides for children and the whole family for thrills.

The total journey took approximately 10 minutes. The total of 99 standard gondolas and 10 glass-floored gondolas can each seat ten and six passengers respectively.

The glass floor gondola ride can be a thrilling experience, but more importantly, it’s the fastest way for you to get to the outlet malls, where all the other cheap thrills are at *wink*.

SkySymphony Light show

SkySymphony light show; Chinese New Year 2018 special

Held right in front of the entrance of the SkyCasino, SkySymphony is a free-to-public light show which showcases an extraordinary orchestra of audio, visual and motion graphics programming. Played once every hour from 10am to midnight daily, the light show brings storytelling to the next level through a dynamic transformation of 1,001 winch balls suspended from a four-storey high ceiling. Not only is this the largest permanent winch installation in Asia, it’s also the first multimedia winch attraction in Asia. If you and your girlfriends are tired from all the shopping, it’s great to unwind and marvel at the immersive stories and larger-than-life cinematic visuals here.

RedTail by Zouk

RedTail bar by Zouk

There’s an outlet here in Singapore, but here’s what renders the one at Genting special: It has arcade games. Not just that, the dynamic ‘sports’ bar also has console games like the XBOX One where customers can challenge each other to a game of Mario Kart, old-school-type games like Connect 4, a row of beer pong tables, and a pool table. Giant Jenga is now available at RedTail. More games are coming soon such as Giant Pong, Limbo Rock and Giant Dice.

The message here is clear: RedTail Genting wants you to have fun.

Beer pong tables at RedTail

Challenge your friend in all-time arcade favourites such as Street Fighter and even basketball shooting amidst a cup (or two) or your favourite cocktail. Oh and since we’re on the topic of cocktails, RedTail has plenty of fun ones. With its eight classic cocktails priced at RM33 and its 8 other signatures at RM35, RedTail serves up plenty of delicious, experimental drinks. From classic Malaysian recipes like the Jungle Bird (a sweet, zesty tropical drink with rum) to more familiar types like the Mai Tai, there’s a drink for everyone here.

Psst, there’s also news that the all-time popular nightclub Zouk will be opening up in Resorts World Genting by this year, so keep your eyes peeled!

Upcoming attraction: 20th Century Fox

Here’s where things get real exciting. The highly anticipated movie theme park has no official date of completion confirmed, but that does not stop fans across the world from buzzing. Designed to span across ten acres in size, the outdoor theme park is due to feature roughly 25 thrill rides and attractions based on films and franchises like Rio, Ice Age, Night at the Museum, Planet of the Apes and Alien vs. Predator. Deemed to be one of the biggest theme parks in Malaysia, we’d expect this attraction to be a huge hit amongst locals and tourists alike. There is no official date confirmed but we heard that it is opening in the fourth quarter of the year.

Convinced yet? Resorts World Genting has literally ticked all our boxes when it comes to planning the ultimate girls’ getaway. Grab a girlfriend — or two — and head on over for a special, worry-free vacation. Ready your wallets, and your legs; there’s a whole lot of shopping to do.

Where to stay

First World Hotel

World Club Room at First World Hotel, Genting

We recommend First World Hotel for convenient access to the rest of the resort. Prices start from around $30 per night for a standard room to about $217 per night for a World Club Room. The hotel even offers hourly stays for as low as RM50 ($16.90) nett for 3 hours.

You’ve got key attractions like the SkySymphony and SkyAvenue mall right at your doorstep as well. What’s not to love?

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